Dafydd Caradog Davis MBE is a Welsh mountain bike trail builder, known for the creation of several major UK mountain biking resorts such as Coed-y-Brenin.
Davis received an MBE in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours list for 'services to forestry'.
Davis is an all-round mountain athlete. He has represented his country as a fell runner and is an accomplished rock climber and alpinist. His first significant opportunity to develop mountain bike trails came in the Coed Y Brenin Forest Park in North Wales in the mid-1990s where he was employed from a background of outdoor educational instruction by Forestry Enterprise to develop trails for the new sport of mountain biking. There was limited budget and Davis was innovative in using volunteers, youth organisations and the armed forces to provide the labour needed to build sustainable trails through the forest. The forest park soon developed a reputation for excellent riding conditions, allowing Davis to approach the new Welsh Assembly and gain funding to develop more riding in Coed Y Brenin, as well as trails in four other Welsh forests. This was achieved, and in 2002 the International Mountain Bicycling Association announced Wales to be the world's top mountain biking destination.
In 2004, Davis left Forestry Enterprise [1] and now works as a free-lance trail developer. He has worked extensively in Ireland, England, Israel, Canada and Japan and has developed methods for trail construction that provide sustainable but challenging routes that are durable and accessible to a range of riding abilities.[ citation needed ]
Davis lives two miles from his home village in the Snowdonia National Park with his wife, Vicky, son Sam and daughter Mollie. He runs, climbs or rides most days.
Snowdonia is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of 823 square miles (2,130 km2) in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951.
Plas y Brenin, located in Conwy County Borough, Wales, is a National Outdoor Centre owned by Sport England. The centre is situated in Dyffryn Mymbyr, the Mymbyr Valley, in Snowdonia and is less than a quarter of a mile south-west of the centre of Capel Curig on the A4086 road.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is one of three national parks in Wales, and is centred on the Brecon Beacons range of hills in southern Wales. It includes the Black Mountain in the west, Fforest Fawr and the Brecon Beacons in the centre and the Black Mountains in the east.
The Taff Trail is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for 55 miles (89 km) between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is so named because it follows the course of the River Taff. Along much of its length, it follows the National Cycle Network Route 8 that continues to Holyhead, and is substantially off-road.
The Afan Forest Park is a 48-square-mile (120 km2) forest park in Britain. It is set in the Afan Valley in Neath Port Talbot, in south Wales. It is well known for its mountain biking and hiking or hillwalking trails. It is situated seven miles (11 km) from Junction 40 of the M4.
The River Aeron is a small river in Ceredigion, Wales, that flows into Cardigan Bay at Aberaeron. It is also referred to on some older maps as the River Ayron.
Coed y Brenin is a forest in the Snowdonia National Park, North Wales near Dolgellau at grid reference SH7127. It is popular for its mountain bike trails and hiking paths. It has several man-made mountain bike singletrack courses in a woodland setting, varying in length from 12 to 38 km, and one dual slalom course.
A grading system for way-marked off-road cycling trails has been adopted in the UK, and is used by official bodies such as Forestry England and IMBA-UK. It was originally developed by Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC) employee Colin Palmer in June 1999, based on a system widely used for grading cross-country skiing routes.
Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle, which owned this area.
John Angelo Jackson was an English mountaineer, explorer and educationalist.
Hafren Forest lies north-west of Llanidloes, an ancient market town in Mid Wales.
David James Jones, commonly known by his bardic name Gwenallt, was a Welsh poet, critic, and scholar, and one of the most important figures of 20th-century Welsh-language literature. He created his bardic name by transposing Alltwen, the name of the village across the river from his birthplace.
The Brechfa Forest is an area of forest in Carmarthenshire, south Wales. Brechfa Forest is the 'modern' name for part of the ancient Glyn Cothi Forest. From before records began in the 6th century the communities in the 15 villages which encircle Glyn Cothi Forest were managing it to provide employment, building materials, products, and grazing. At various times the forest has been the refuge of Welsh Princes fighting the Norman Invasion, a Royal Hunting Forest, and for two centuries was the 'Texas' of Wales, producing large quantities of oil for lamps. and was a major supplier of timber for the trenches and explosives during World War One.
Brechfa, situated between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, is a village that has existed since the 6th century at the top of the Cothi Valley. Brechfa village is set in countryside, as well as being located by the Brechfa Forest
Dalby Forest is a forest located on the southern slopes of the North York Moors National Park in North Yorkshire, England. It is maintained by Forestry England. Dalby Forest, along with Langdale Forest and Cropton Forest, forms part of the North Riding Forest Park, found within the North York Moors National Park.
Ganllwyd is a small village and community in southern Gwynedd, Wales. It lies in the Snowdonia National Park to the north of Dolgellau. A470 passes through it. The Community population taken at the 2011 Census was 179.
The Hobbit's Tale is a long distance mountain bike route, that is set to be longest ever non-stop offroad ride, awaiting confirmation from Guinness. The Guinness World Record will be for "The greatest distance covered on a mountain bike in 48 hours." The official guidelines are based on flat distance and ignores height gain. It's also suggested by Guinness that it be completed on an athletics track.
Mountain biking in the UK comprises a mix of dedicated mountain bike trail centres and other areas that have become popular with mountain bikers despite lacking dedicated facilities. The main governing body for mountain bike racing in the UK is British Cycling.